


Dragons, Lies, and Prophecies. Or Why You Should Never Lie to an Accomplished Seer.

by Tahbatha



Series: Gods Play Dice. Of Destiny, Causality and Free Will. [1]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-23
Updated: 2017-01-04
Packaged: 2018-08-24 05:31:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,760
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8359138
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tahbatha/pseuds/Tahbatha
Summary: When Morgana sees Merlin talking to a dragon about her in a dream, she decides to confront him about it.Canon divergence from episode 3 of season 2, "The Nightmare Begins." Merlin/Morgana and Arthur/Gwen.





	1. Conftontation.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to Moonfox, MadameMorganLeFay, AJsRandom and Sarajm, for their encouragement and their valuable help at discussing and editing this story.  
> Especial thanks to MonJoh for her great work as a beta, both providing insightful input for the development of the story and detailed proofreading, all with dedication and enthusiasm that deserve only praises.

Merlin was standing alone in the dark, with a torch in his right hand, looking down at a big and deep cave. Suddenly, a giant dragon arrived, his golden eyes glowing in the gloomy surroundings.

"What do you want, young warlock?" the Great Dragon asked, looking down at the boy.

"I need your help. Do you know where the druids are?" he asked eagerly, biting his lip.

"First you must tell me why you seek them."  The threatening voice of the dragon echoed through the cavern.

He looked at the scaly beast and grumbled in exasperation."It doesn't matter!"

"It does to me." The dragon looked at him with contempt.

"I need to ask them something," Merlin sighed and looked down at his feet as if he was trying to collect himself to look calm.   
"I've lived more than a thousand years, seen civilizations rise and fall. Do not believe that you can lie to me," the dragon’s voice was a roar resonating in the cave.

The boy sighed again in resignation.

"I need their help. Someone I care about needs their help."

The dragon eyes shone in annoyance and smoke emanated from his nostrils.

"You speak of the witch, the Lady Morgana!"

"She's not a witch. She's my friend," Merlin protested.

"She cannot be trusted."

"What makes you say that?"

The dragon snorted at the boy before continuing his speech as if he had not heard him.

"It would be better if the witch -"

"Stop calling her that!" he screamed angrily.

"She's a witch in the same way that you are a warlock, Merlin.” The dragon rolled his eyes. “It would be better if the witch never knew the true extent of her powers..." the dragon continued his speech.

"You're wrong. I know her. She has a good heart," the boy had angry tears in his eyes.

"You failed to heed my advice in the past and it brought grave consequences," the dragon said.

"I won't abandon her." He stared at the dragon with cold determination.

"I will not give you the help you seek. If you pursue this course of action, you do so alone," said the dragon before flying away, abruptly ending the conversation.

\------

Morgana woke up suddenly in her bed. She was sweating and breathing heavily. The dream wasn't one of her usual nightmares, but it had been a disturbing, all the same.

In her vision, Merlin was talking to a dragon. Had not Uther killed all dragons during the Great Purge? No, the king claimed he had left one dragon alive, imprisoned and chained beneath Camelot, as a reminder of Pendragon’s power. Also, she remembered that, when she was a little child, she had overheard her father, Gorlois, talking to a friend about the dragon the king had imprisoned. The dragon had sworn revenge on Camelot and the Pendragon lineage, as Uther was the reason dragons had become nearly extinct.

So maybe that dragon was indeed still living below the castle? If that was the case, why on Albion was Merlin asking him for advice? Also, what did the dragon call him? ‘Young warlock’? And he had called her a ‘witch’? So, both he and herself had magic? Maybe she wasn't so alone after all? No, it couldn't be. Maybe it was just wishful thinking on her part, maybe it was just her imagination playing tricks with her mind...

"Good morning, Milady," Gwen said cheerfully, entering her bedroom. "Did you have a good night?”

  
"Not really," she said, distracted with her thoughts.

"Do you want to have breakfast now? Or would you prefer me to come back later, in an hour or two, so you can get some more rest?"

"Yes, come back later, Gwen, thank you." Morgana felt restless and could not even think about eating. She wanted some more time alone to gather her thoughts. The images of her dream still replaying themselves chaotically in her mind, as she tried to make sense of them.

\--------

It was the evening and Morgana was sitting on her bed,  trying to read a book. She sighed, it was hard to concentrate because the earlier vision was still haunting her.  
Someone knocked on her door.  
She got up from the bed and left her book on the nightstand.

"Who is it?" She approached the door.

"It's me, Merlin."

Her stomach lurched. Merlin was at her door. Should she ask him about the dragon? Maybe it was not a good idea. He already knew of her constant nightmares and, despite last night she had confided in him, that she thought the reason behind the fire incident in her room was that she had magic, he didn’t seem very convinced about her making sense. If she told him about this last vision of hers, maybe he would think she was crazy.    
"You can come in, the door is unlocked," she said, pacing through the room.

Merlin tentatively opened the door and peeked inside. He looked at her, as asking for permission. She nodded, so he entered the chambers and closed the door behind him. He walked calmly towards her and showed her a small vial in his hand.

"Gaius asked me to deliver this."

"I don't need any potion, thank you. Merlin? Ignore what I said last night. I had a nightmare, I was upset." She stepped back away from him.

He followed her and looked unblinkingly at her eyes

"I know. I haven't said anything to anyone."

"I'm sorry. It's usually Gwen who has to deal with me when I'm like this." Maybe it was better not to involve him anymore in all this, he surely thought she was insane.

"I don't mind. Maybe I could help."

He gave her a slight smile.

"I doubt that," she said, shaking her head, disheartened.

"You'd be surprised."

She looked at his eyes.

"I understand. I realize how frightening all this must be for you. Especially for you," he said in a compassionate tone.

"Why especially for me?" she asked. It was not as if she needed his pity.

"You're the king's ward. You know his hatred of magic better than anyone," he explained.

"That's what you think has been happening to me? The dreams. The fire. You think it was magic?!" she snapped.

"I'm not saying that," he said.

"But it could be, couldn't it?" She frowned, a bit exasperated. It was just like the last time. He said he understood her, but when she explained her thoughts, he refused to reassure her, either confirming or denying her suspicions.

"I really wouldn't know, but there are people who do.”

"Who?"

"What about the druids? They help people like you."

The druids? Had he just suggested she seek the druids? This could not be a coincidence. He had asked the dragon about the druids in order to help her, and now he was here advising her of the very same thing.

"So, how did you find the druids, Merlin? I thought your friend the dragon wouldn't tell you." She smirked sarcastically.

"How did you know? Err, I mean, what are you talking about, Milady?" His face was suddenly paler than normal and his eyes widened.

"Please, tell me the truth. I can tell you are trying to hide something," she said.  "And stop calling me that, my name is Morgana."

He didn't answer, gaping at her, his eyes still widely open.

She snorted, slightly amused at his shock.   
"I had a dream, and I saw you talking to the dragon who lives in a cave, below the castle."

"It's only a dream, Morgana."

"No, it's not! In my dream, you asked the dragon where to find the druids in order to help me, and now you are here, suggesting to me the very same thing. It can't be a coincidence. I am not that stupid, you know," she said angrily. She couldn’t believe he still tried to insist in his denial.  
He looked at her hesitantly for a moment, before releasing a resigned sigh.

"OK, you are right." 

Finally! She had managed to make him admit the true. Now she had to make him confess the rest, she thought triumphantly. "All right. We need to talk.” She walked towards the table where she usually had her meals.” She sat at the table, patting a spot on the nearest chair.  

He sat next to her, staring at her while scratching his head, inquisitively.

"So, you have magic," she said matter of factly.

"What?" He gaped at her.

"In my vision, the dragon called you a 'warlock’,” she explained.

"Oh, I see," he said, looking at the floor.

"Why didn't you tell me? I mean, we are the same. A witch and a warlock, in a place where magic is not welcomed. We should stick together!"  she exclaimed. She could not understand his reluctance to trust her.

"I am sorry, Morgana, I guess you are right." He looked her in the eye again.

"Since when have you had magic?" she asked.

"I don't really know," he said. "I always have had magic for as long as I can remember. My mother always said I was a special kid since I was born."

"Fascinating.” Morgana raised her eyebrows and rubbed her chin. “I’ve had these strange dreams of mine since I was a little girl, and Mordred seemed able to perform magic as well, despite being just a boy.” She chewed her lip. “The problem is that I can't control it, and lighting up a fire while dreaming could be dangerous, could you help me with that?" She released a hopeful sigh.

"Maybe," he said tentatively.  "I’ve never taught anyone before, but I can try."

"That would be great!" she said.

He gave her a small smile.

"So, tell me, why were you talking to that dragon?" she asked. She was still curious about what she had seen in her dream.

"He's a friend of sorts, I guess.  He told me about my destiny when I arrived Camelot."

"Your destiny? What do you mean?" She was surprised.

"He said it's my destiny to protect Arthur so when he becomes a king we can work together to unite Albion and bring a golden age where magic will be allowed again." he explained pensively.

"Does Arthur know about your magic?"

"No, of course not!"  He looked alarmed.

"Well, that's _fishy_ ," she thought aloud.

"What do you mean, _fishy_?" He sounded annoyed.

"You see, Merlin, when I was a small girl, I heard my father, Gorlois, talking about the dragon imprisoned under Camelot’s castle. He said the dragon had sworn revenge on Camelot and the Pendragons. So, I don't think he's trustworthy. Why would he send you to help Arthur? Also, I don't understand how you can work together with Arthur to bring back magic when you don't even dare to tell him about your talents. Additionally, for some reason, that damn lizard doesn't seem very fond of me," she said.

"So, do you think he's lying to me?" He raised his eyebrows.

"I don't know. Have you got any independent confirmation about the dragon’s words?"

"Well... remember Mordred? He called me Emrys. It seems the druids have some sort of prophecy about me." he said doubtfully, slightly shrugging his shoulders.

"What does this prophecy say exactly?" This was so vague, surely he should know more about something like that, should not he? She felt bewildered at his apathetic lack of research.

"I really don't know." He looked embarrassed.

"We need to investigate that,"  she said determinedly. "We have to go to see the druids."

"No problem," he said. "I know how to find them -"

"One moment!" she said, raising her hand in alarm. "How did you get that information? I remember the dragon refused to help you."

"Arthur," he said. "He had a list of people suspected of dealing with the druids. He and the knights are arresting people because Uther thinks some wizard is harassing you. I got some names from the list. I warned those persons about the knights pursuing them. They told me where to find the druids, in exchange for my help."

"Then we can't go to the druids now," she said, scared.

"Why not?"

"Are you joking? If we go to the druids now we will be putting us and them in peril. It seems Arthur was right, you can be a bit dense sometimes." She shook her head in disbelief.

"Thank you, Morgana," he frowned.

"I didn't mean to offend you, Merlin," she said, slightly pouting her lips and squeezing affectionately his hand.  "You are my friend and I need your help."

His forehead relaxed and he stretched his lips into a thin smile. He seemed mollified. Her feminine charm was always useful to fix things with males when she put her foot in her mouth.

"So, will you teach me about magic?" she asked him with a sweet smile.

"I will do my best," he said proudly, slightly raising his chin and using a reassuring tone.

"Thank you.  It's late, Gwen must be on her way to help me to get ready for bed, so you better go. See you tomorrow." She kissed his cheek softly.

"Good night, Milady," he said with a blush. He rose from the chair, bowed to her and left quickly.

 

 


	2. Aftermath

Merlin climbed the stairs to the physician chambers as he rubbed absentmindedly the spot on his cheek where Morgana had kissed him.

Had he made the right decision by confiding his secrets to her? Well, on one hand, it was not as if he had many options. Because she had realized a lot of things on her own and had cornered him with questions. On the other hand, he had to admit that it was nice to have someone who really understood how he felt about his magic. Gaius did not truly understand him, not only because he was not young, but also because the physician never had strong magic which could get out of control in an emotional outburst like he and Morgana had. Quite the opposite: Gaius had admitted he had to study for years before he could perform any magic at all.

Morgana's words about Kilgharrah had resonated in his mind. Since last year, when the dragon's advice almost ended with his mother’s death, he had suspected the Great Dragon's true intentions were selfish and deceiving.

Merlin stopped at the physician's door. He hoped his mentor was out seeing a patient, or at least that he was too busy to ask any questions. _If he ever finds out what I told Morgana, he will kill me_. Releasing a sigh, he opened the chamber door.

Gaius, who was sitting on a bench and tapping his fingers, glanced up at him as he entered.

The physician raised an eyebrow. “Where have you been all this time?”

 

“I was doing my work, serving Arthur, as usual.” He shrugged, trying to look calm.

 

“Don't lie to me. I saw Arthur and he told me he gave you the evening off. Because, apparently, you told him I had requested that you clean my tank of leeches. Where were you all this time?”

 

Merlin blushed. He knew Gaius suspected he would disobey him regarding Morgana.

  
  


The old man grimaced and raised his eyebrows. He seemed alarmed.

 

“Please tell me you didn't go to see Morgana...”

  
  


“This isn't fair. I _had_ to help her!” he said guiltily.

 

The physician’s eyes widened. He looked concerned.

 

“What have you done? You didn't tell her anything about your magic, I hope.”

  
  


“Well... yes, I couldn't help it. She _knew_. She had a vision and asked me about it... I couldn't lie to her.” He bit his lip, as she sat on a bench opposite to his mentor.

  
  


Gaius gritted his teeth. “But you could always lie to me, Merlin, couldn't you?”

  
  


“It's not like that.” Merlin did not like to lie to the physician, but he could never agree about leave Morgana suffering in the dark, _for her own good_. He identified with her.  

 

“Don't you understand the risks? Uther would have you beheaded if he ever knew about your magic.”

 

“She wouldn't tell Uther, she is my friend.”

  
  


“She's at risk as well, if the king ever realizes the truth about her talents -”

  
  


“I am helping her with that. I promised her to teach her about magic.”

  
  


“You did what?!” the old man snapped. “You want to make my old heart fail, don't you, Merlin?”

  
  


“Of course, not.”  He scratched his nape, thoughtfully. Gaius had reached the point of resorting to emotional blackmail. This conversation was not going well. And they were stuck, repeating the same arguments they used the last time they had discussed Morgana. He wondered if a rational approach would manage to convince the old man. His mentor was a pragmatic man, a scientist, after all. He decided to give it a try. “The current situation is not safe at all, with all the kingdom wary, vigilant about any magic signal, because they are paranoid about wizards conspiring against Morgana. Actually, it would be better for everyone if she learned to control her magic. No more magical incidents in her chambers. The king would calm down and stop looking for the non-existent sorcerers who are supposedly attacking her. Things would get back to normal. ”

  
  


“I really hope you are right, my boy,” the old man sighed. “I am not sure you'll be ready to teach her, though. Teaching is not an easy task, and you already have a lot on your plate.”

  
“Don't worry, I'll deal with all of it,” he said, partly trying to sound convincing, and partly trying to convince himself.

 

“Alright, I am going to bed. Goodnight.” The physician yawned, resignedly.

 

It had worked! It seemed that using logical arguments was indeed a better way to deal with Gaius, much better than other strategies that Merlin had used in the past. Better than appealing to the physician’s emotions, or his sense of justice, at any rate. Merlin made a mental note to remember taking this into account in the future.

  
  


“Good night,” he said as he climbed the few steps towards his room.

  
  


\-----------

  
  


Merlin was lying down in his cot, staring at the ceiling. He had to plan how to teach Morgana to control her magic. He could start teaching her some of the easier spells from the magic book that Gaius had given him when he arrived Camelot. But also he had to help her prevent accidental magic.

  
  


He had learnt to control his magic when he was a small child. The key was to calm down. As a toddler, his magic erupted randomly when he was angry, throwing a tantrum, or sad, crying. During those instances, he made things fly in all directions or made candles or torches burst into flame around him without intending it, sometimes without realising what was happening around him.

  
  


On those occasions, his mother would hug him tightly and gently stroke his hair.

“Calm down, my dear Merlin, Mummy is here for you, try to breathe deeply,” she whispered soothingly. “Close your eyes and focus only on your breathing. Inhale, count to ten. Exhale slowly, counting to ten. Repeat it”. Hunith would wait, kneeling on the ground with her arms wrapped around him, until her son was mollified.

  
  


This focus exercise always calmed him down, stopping the uncontrolled magic outbreaks. Later, he had practiced this breathing technique on his own, and with time it had helped him to become conscious of the flow of his own magical energy until he was able to control it naturally. With the exception of that incident last year, when he had killed Nimueh in a rage magical outburst, his magic had remained under his complete control since he was about six.

  
  


He sat in his cot and took his magic book. He browsed through it by the dim light of the candle on his night table, looking for spells to begin his teaching. Maybe he could start with some handy telekinesis spells. He put a small piece of parchment into his book to mark the page where those spells were explained.  He also needed to make up an excuse to get time to see Morgana. But that would have to wait until the next day. It was already late into the night. He felt exhausted and he had to wake up early the next morning.

  
  


He wrapped his book with a handkerchief and stored it in its usual hideout, under his cot,  in a hole covered by a loose wooden plank in the floor. He blew out the candle on his nightstand, closed his eyes, and fell asleep.

 

  
  


\---------------------------

 

 

  
  


Dawn light broke through the small window in his room, waking Merlin up. He stretched in his cot, yawning. He sat up and ran a hand through his messy hair, smoothing it down. He had a long day of chores ahead, and he had to improvise a way to see Morgana, at least to exchange words with her about how he intended to keep his promise of help. Maybe if he started his work earlier, he could get an opportunity to sneak up to her chambers at some point during the day.

He washed up, got dressed and hurried out his room. Gaius, who was already awake and lost in his experiments, greeted him with a nod of his head and vaguely waved at the food at the table. Merlin gulped down his cup of milk without even sitting at the table and grabbed a piece of bread and some cheese, chewing them as he rushed up towards Arthur's chambers.

  
  


On his way, he decided to go to kitchens first to get breakfast for his master. After all, it was early in the morning and the prince would appreciate a longer sleeping time. This way breakfast would already be on the table when Arthur woke up. In the kitchens, Merlin met Gwen who was getting breakfast for Morgana.

  
  


“Hi Merlin, how are you?”

  
  


“I'm fine, Gwen, what about you?”

  
  


“ I am fine too”, she said, releasing a sigh. “Luckily, Morgana slept a bit more last night and there were no more strange incidents in her room. I was really scared that an evil sorcerer may be stalking her, but fortunately, it seems everything is back to normal now.”

  
  


He gulped. “Do you really think there was some wizard here in Camelot trying to hex her?”

  
  


“I don't know, but I have to admit that magic is scary and what happened in her chambers looked like sorcery. Maybe we shouldn't blame Uther so much for chasing sorcerers, after all, even if he got too carried away during the Purge.” She looked terrified when mentioning the potential presence of sorcerers in the castle.

  
  


He tried his best to hide how uncomfortable he felt with the rejection and fear towards magic she had expressed.

“I am happy for you and Morgana that things are getting back to normal now.”

  
  


“Thanks, when you see Arthur please send him my regards.”

  
  


“Alright. Goodbye...” He forced a smile.

  
  


“Goodbye.”

 

And with that, they both rushed towards their respective masters’ chambers.

 


	3. Teaching and Learning.

After a long day of seemingly endless boring chores, Merlin snuck away from his busy daily schedule to visit Morgana. For some reason, he had been distracted all day, which had made his tasks even more tedious because, since he could not concentrate, the chores had taken him longer than usual. In the end, he had requested Gaius to tell anyone who asked for him that he was running errands for the physician and the old man had accepted, albeit reluctantly.

Merlin knocked Morgana's door.

"Finally!, I was starting to doubt if you would come..." she said as she opened the door and gestured him to enter her chambers. She closed the door behind him.

"Well, you know I am pretty busy the whole day, being a servant. I didn't know myself if I would manage to get here." He was tired after the long workday but felt relieved that he had managed to get there to fulfill his promise, against all odds.

"Yes, I know, sorry. It's just that I got a bit anxious. Thanks for taking the time to visit me. Please sit down with me here." She sat at the table and patted the seat next to her. Her eyes shone with eagerness and enthusiasm.

He sat down and put his bag on the floor, next to his chair. "So, how was your night?"

"Better. No magic incidents last night," she said. "Why do you think that was?"

"Probably because you are calmer now. Magic tends to get uncontrolled in moments of emotional turmoil. Maybe your dreams upset you that night when the curtains caught fire. Do you remember what was your nightmare about?" He knew her dreams had been prophetic in the past and wondered what kind of vision had made her so disturbed, to the point of making her magic outburst.

"I was alone wandering in the forest of Essetir and giant scorpions attacked me."

"Are you sure it was the forest of Essetir?"

"Yes, I remember that forest from last year, when we visited your home village."

"That's curious..."

"Why?"

"Because that's where I was told the druids were, in that forest. Maybe that would have happened if you had gone to see them. I guess we were lucky you didn't."

"Oh. That could explain why that particular vision stopped. Because we changed the future." She looked quite excited about that.

"Maybe we did, indeed." He smiled at her. What she said made sense and her enthusiasm was contagious.

She smiled back and they stared at each other in a thrilled silence for a moment. It felt a bit awkward.

"Did your magic ever get out of control?" she asked, as she absentmindedly entwined a strand of her long dark hair between her fingers.

"When I was a toddler, yes," he said. "My mother taught me a breathing technique when I was a child. It's quite useful to calm down and focus. And it turned out, it allows you to be aware of how your magic flows, too."

"Sounds interesting," she said. "Could you teach me?"

"Sure, it's easy." He touched her hand. "Close your eyes and concentrate only on your breathing."

She closed her eyes.

"Breath deeply. Inhale. Count to ten. Exhale slowly, counting to ten. Repeat it." He watched her closely and waited for her to slowly relax by focusing on her own breathing rhythm until he judged she had reached the trance point. "Now you should be able to feel something warm and golden, glowing in your chest, flowing slowly to the rest of your body. That's your magic."

"I think I can feel it," she said.

"You should practice this exercise and with a bit of patience it will help you to have better control of your magic." This had been easier than he expected. It seemed Morgana was a fast learner. It was rather rewarding to see her progress. It made him feel proud.

"Ok, that's enough breathing for today. Now we can learn some spells."

She opened her eyes.

"I brought this book of magic." He took a big tome wrapped in a handkerchief from his bag. He placed the book on the table and unwrapped it.

"Where did you get that book?"

"Gaius gave it to me last year when I arrived Camelot. Before that, I could perform magic in an intuitive inaccurate way, but spells are much more precise." It felt liberating to have a friend who was so open to discussing his experiences and thoughts about the magic as if it were an everyday thing. Gaius was usually quite sparing when he raised the subject, probably worried that someone might accidentally overhear them.

"So, does Gaius know about your magic?"

"Yes."

"Why didn't he help me with mine instead of lying to me and feeding me those disgusting sleeping potions?" she asked angrily.

"He thought it was dangerous for you to know about your magic." Merlin felt Morgana's wrath was righteous but he felt obligated to defend his mentor since he knew the physician had nothing but good intentions towards her.

"How did he dare? It was not his right to make that kind of decision for me!"

"I know, but you have to understand that he meant it well, even if he was so wrong." He agreed with Morgana's view but he did not want to fuel her rage anymore. He did not fancy the idea of being stuck, standing in the fireline of a fight between her and Gaius.

"Men! Always thinking they can decide for us what is better for women!" She rolled her eyes.

"OK, don't you want to try some spells?" he asked, hoping to distract her justified anger at his mentor. It was too difficult for him to make her change her mind about Gaius, especially when he lacked conviction because Merlin himself had mixed feelings on the issue. But at least they could focus on something else instead of stirring her indignation.

"Yes, that would be great."

He opened his book and showed her the page that explained telekinesis spells.

"Inbringe cume mec calic," Merlin said, moving his hand towards a goblet that was resting on the other side of the table.

His eyes glowed gold for a moment and the goblet levitated towards his hand. He took the goblet.

"Try it," he told her, putting the goblet back in its place.

"Inbringe cume mec calic." She moved her hand in the direction of the goblet.

Nothing happened.

"You need to focus. You have to feel your magic reach it. Try again."

"Inbringe cume mec calic," she said again. This time her eyes glowed gold and the goblet flew off the table and crashed violently against the opposite wall.

"That was a lot better, but you have to control your impetus." He took the goblet from the floor and put it back in its original place, on the table's side that was the farthest from the wall.

"Let's try again." He took her hand, guiding her movements while she uttered the spell. This time the goblet levitated towards her palm.

Suddenly he heard a noise behind him. Someone was opening the door. Startled, he jumped out of his seat, away from Morgana, quickly closed the book, and pushed down the levitating goblet.

The door opened and someone stepped inside the chambers. He quickly glanced back, towards the door, and by the corner of his eye, he saw it was Gwen. She had a basket with Morgana's clean clothes in her hands.

"What were you two doing?" said Gwen with a smirk.

He could not bring himself to say a word. He stared at Morgana in complete panic.

"Come on, Merlin, you don't have to dissimulate, Gwen knows," she said in an overconfident tone, smiling widely.

He widened his eyes in fear. "Wha-what does she exactly know?" he stuttered, his hands slightly shaking, as he sat back in his chair, next to her.

"That we're courting each other, of course, silly," Morgana said, smiling matter-of-factly as she winked an eye at a gaping Merlin. She elbowed him under the table.

He forced a smile and nodded at Gwen, putting his hand over Morgana's.

Gwen giggled, staring alternately at each of them. "Well, I'll give you more alone time so you can say goodbye to each other. I'll be back in a little while." She smiled knowingly. She put her basket next to Morgana's bed, left the chambers, and closed the door behind her.

"What was all that about, Morgana?" he snapped, as soon as he judged Gwen was out of hearing range.

"I had to make an excuse for your presence here, Merlin." She bit her lip and shrugged.

"And you had no better idea than inventing one that could have me beheaded if it ever gets to the wrong ears?" He got up angrily from his seat.

She got up, too, and put a placating hand on his shoulder. "I know I should have warned you about this situation with Gwen before. I am really sorry. I just got so caught up with our lesson that I forgot," she apologized, staring him pleadingly in the eye with a slight pout on her lips.

He stared her back and pursed his lips.

"Don't worry, Gwen would never put us at risk. She's a good friend. I wanted to tell her the truth about my magic, but she was pretty scared when my chambers caught on fire. She really believes there was some evil sorcerer chasing me and that Arthur's latest pursuit of wizards was the reason the incidents stopped. I don't think she's ready to know about our magic yet..." she said in a calm tone, still holding his gaze.

"Yes, you are right. I met her this morning at the kitchens, and she almost tried to justify Uther's Purge," he said, worried.

"Indeed, it surprised me. She normally wouldn't think something like that," Morgana said. "Anyway, she asked me if there was something going on between us because she saw we were talking more to each other and you kept bringing me flowers. I realized it was a believable enough excuse. And we really need her support and complicity so that we don't get caught, since part of her work is chaperoning me," she added.

For some reason, Merlin couldn't repress a goofy smile from forming briefly on his lips when Morgana said that the idea of them having a romance going on between them was believable.

"Okay, I have to go before Gwen comes back," he said. "Since we couldn't complete our spell session, you can borrow my magic book for a few days. That way you can read it and practice on your own, but be sure nobody sees it." He handed her the old tome, wrapped again in its handkerchief.

She hid the book behind a drawer inside her wardrobe. "Thank you," she exclaimed enthusiastically. "You're such a good friend!" In a sudden move, she threw her arms around him in a tight hug and planted a peck on his cheek.

He felt a sudden rush of heat, surging in his face and ears. "You're welcome. Goodbye." He coughed, trying to hide his blushing, and walked towards the door.

"Goodbye," she said. As he looked back, he saw she was smiling widely when she closed the door behind him.

* * *

Merlin felt scared and cheerful in equal measure. On one hand, he knew he was already taking a big risk by helping Morgana with her magic, and now he had realized there was an additional danger: he could be accused of threatening her virtue. But on the other hand, he really had enjoyed sharing time with her, being able to really be himself without any need of hiding his magic.

It seemed old feelings about Morgana, feelings he thought were buried in the past, were resurging in him. Those feelings were double-edged, though, they made him smile but they also made him scared of rejection. She was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen, and since the day he first saw her when he arrived in Camelot he had been infatuated with her beauty. He remembered when he first walked into Camelot's square. Uther executed a man because of sorcery. Among this despairing and unwelcoming view that had greeted Merlin's arrival, he had noticed her, peeking out of her window in the castle, like an ethereal apparition, a unique kindred soul that seemed to share his disturbance. The delicate features of her pale perfect face were framed by the dark long waves of her silky hair, her green eyes shining wet with unshed tears, her red pursed lips trembling. Later, after he met her, he had grown to admire her because she was clever, brave, and had a strong-willed sense of justice that made him like her beyond simple physical attraction.

But when she had expressed her encouragement about his nonexistent romantic relationship with Gwen last year, after they returned from Ealdor, he had lost all hope that his feelings would ever be reciprocated. However, the latest developments with Morgana, and especially her latest affectionate behavior towards him, were raising his hopes again. At the same time, he did not want to get his hopes too high because he knew it would hurt him to be disappointed again. He knew that if this happened she was not to blame for it, after all, she never had offered him anything other than her friendship. And he appreciated the opportunity to have a friend like her who could relate to his own experiences about magic. He did not want to ruin that.

* * *

On the stairs down from Morgana's chambers, Merlin crossed paths with Arthur.

The prince raised his eyebrows when he saw him. "What are you doing here, Merlin? I thought you said you had to collect herbs for Gaius?"

"I already did. Now I am delivering Gaius's potions to his patients," he said. "Don't you remember Morgana needs one to sleep properly?"

Arthur leaned against the wall and looked him in disbelief. "This has to stop." He folded his arms across his chest and frowned slightly.

"What do you mean?" Merlin asked in confusion.

"The king would have your head if he found out, and there's no point denying it," Arthur said.

"Denying what?" Merlin asked, already suspecting what was coming.

"Your affections for the Lady Morgana."

It seemed Arthur had been talking a lot with Gwen lately. "Right," he answered in a sarcastic tone.

"Take a bit of advice from someone who knows about women," the prince said in a patronizing tone.

"Well, if such a person existed, I would." Merlin rolled his eyes.

"Stick to girls who are more...how can I put it? On your level."

"Thanks." Merlin sighed. How hypocritical could Arthur be? What about his relationship with Gwen? Of course, Uther would never approve, but still.

"She can't be your friend. Let alone anything else." Arthur added.

"Yeah, I know."

"You can't hide anything from me, Merlin." The prince smiled triumphantly.

"I wouldn't dream of it," he smirked, amused.

After Merlin saw Arthur walking away, looking satisfied, he calmly resumed his path towards the physician's chambers.


	4. Kilgharrah's Nightmare.

After several weeks of magic lessons, Morgana was making great progress with her magic skills. Also, she had gained a much better control of her power. And, as the avid reader she was, she had finished the book Merlin had loaned her. Twice. It was just the theory that she had studied. She had not practiced all the spells she had read in the book. Currently, she had only mastered a dozen of simpler spells. But it didn't stop her from feeling proud of herself.

Now she was able to ask Merlin about specific spells she had found interesting. And the best part was he had not performed all the spells in the book yet either, so it provided them the opportunity to learn spells together at some point. That possibility made her very happy, despite the fact that she knew his experience with magic gave him a big advantage. But she had a little advantage too, a lot of free time that she enthusiastically invested in magic learning.

Merlin, being a servant, was usually busy, so it was only a couple of hours, three times a week that they would meet to practice magic together. Of course, that was when he wasn't too tired from the many tasks Arthur and Gaius requested of him, or too busy to sneak out to her chambers. When this happened she terribly missed him. She could not understand how his company had become suddenly so necessary to her. Only with him, she felt she could be completely herself. The revelation of their shared magic secret had shifted her perspective. She now saw him in a new light.

She had always admired the selfless generosity in his character and she also enjoyed his quick wit, but she had never thought of Merlin as a man before. In the past, she used to think about him as a nice boy as if he was so much younger than herself. However, that was not the case. He was actually only one year younger than her. Suddenly, she had become very aware of this fact. And to be sincere, she was starting to feel quite attracted to this man.

She wondered how she could not have noticed him before. Sure, he was not the kind of man that she used to fancy: brawny knights, usually arrogant. But without a doubt, he was quite handsome in his own mysterious way, if a little too skinny. Perhaps it was class prejudice that had made her overlook his attractive before, although her father, Gorlois, had always taught her to value persons for what they really were, not their station. But now, with magic, they had been brought to the same level She felt like she had removed a blindfold from her eyes and, for the first time, she could see this young man who was so special and had been under her nose the whole time. And she liked what she saw.

* * *

That night Merlin suggested that Morgana meets him at Gaius' chambers, instead of hers. He had almost bumped into some guards a couple of times last week when visiting her. So it was a good idea for him to stop visiting her chambers for a while, in order to prevent any suspicions or rumors that could end up in the wrong ears. She could always excuse her visits to the physician's chambers as medical queries.

She knocked on the physician's door.

"Enter," called Gaius from the inside.

She walked through the door and closed it behind her.

The old man was distracted concocting some potion in a steamy cauldron near his workbench.

"Hello, Gaius," she said looking coldly at him. "I am looking for Merlin." She was still resentful at the physician because of his lies to her in the past.

Gaius stared at her with a mix of guilt and regret in his eyes.

"Merlin, the Lady Morgana is here looking for you!" he called to his ward in a tone that sounded more formal and composed than usual.

"Hello, Morgana," Merlin said, opening a small door. "It would be better for us to have our lesson here, to avoid disturbing Gaius' work."

The physician nodded.

She climbed up a few steps and entered Merlin's quarters.

"Welcome." He bowed to her and gestured grandly as if trying to impress her with his chivalry. "Please have a seat."

The room was small and bare and had little furniture. So different from her own huge and fancy chambers. She sat on the cot, which seemed to be the only available place to sit at all.

He sat next to her.

Morgana had brought Merlin's book with her. She opened the book on her lap and slightly leaned to his side so that both could read it.

"What do you want to learn today?" he asked.

"I think I'd like to make these light spheres, they seem so nice and handy," she pointed to the book.

"These are easy," he said, putting the book to the side.

"Leoth," he said as he waved his hand. His eyes glowed gold and a small bluish light sphere appeared floating above his palm.

She touched the sphere with her fingertips. It felt warm and a bit tingly.

He snapped his fingers and the sphere burst with a small pop. "Your turn," he said.

"Leoth," she said, waving her hand. Her eyes flashed gold for a moment and a small light sphere bubbled briefly in her hand but it quickly was extinguished.

"Try again," he said, leaning a bit towards her in order to help her with the hand movement.

"Leoth," she said as he helped her with the hand gesture. Her eyes glowed gold. This time the sphere was stable and remained to hover over her palm. She squealed in delight. Inadvertently she pushed the sphere and it floated towards him. She reached to retrieve it and almost fell on top of him. As she tried to regain her balance and pull away, she felt the warmth of his breath on her face. She looked up at his eyes. Those mesmerizing blue eyes. She became aware how close his lips were to hers. On a sudden impulse, she clung to his neck, closed her eyes, and kissed him.

He seemed a bit shocked at first, but quickly he kissed her back. He put his arms around her waist and pulled her closer so that she ended sitting on his lap.

As they deepened the kiss, she felt their magic flows entangling each other and enveloping them in a soft and warm golden glow. Suddenly she realized the exhilarating sensations she felt were not only her own, that she was aware of what he was feeling as well, like if a telepathic link had spontaneously formed between them. They broke off the kiss, gasping for air.

"Did you feel that?" he whispered breathlessly, leaning his forehead against hers. "I could feel your magic, and couldn't discern where my magic ended and yours began."

"Yes," she panted. "I could feel everything that you felt."

They looked up and found they were surrounded by hundred of hovering bluish light spheres, spinning around them.

At the same moment, Gaius stormed into the room, after opening the door abruptly with a loud slam. His eyes were wide with alarm and his face red as if he had been yelling for a while.

"What in Avalon are you two doing, trying to burn down my chambers?"

As the physician entered the room, he gaped at the sight of the two sorcerers embracing, sitting together on the cot, surrounded by floating spheres of light. Morgana noticed the hands of the old man were shaking slightly.

Morgana felt a mix of embarrassment and annoyance at Gaius' inopportune intrusion. She rose from Merlin's lap and smoothed her dress. Merlin was looking to the floor with his cheeks flushed. He snapped his fingers and the hovering spheres disappeared.

Morgana felt the urge to vent her frustration at Gaius, but she restrained herself because she knew doing this would only be detrimental for Merlin. She decided to leave before the anger got the best of her, letting her slip some expletive towards the old man.

"I have to go now, Merlin. Goodnight," she said, with a small peck on his lips.

"Goodnight, Morgana," he said with a deep sigh. As she walked towards the door, she turned her face to look behind her back. She noticed Merlin was still sitting on the cot, staring at her with longing and wide eyes, like an abandoned puppy. The physician was standing next to him, his arms crossed over his chest.

"You have a lot to explain, Merlin," Gaius grumbled in a severe tone at the boy, raising his eyebrows. Morgana left the physician's chambers feeling a bit guilty.

* * *

In the cave beneath Camelot's castle, a certain dragon, who had felt the strength of the magical bond just formed, roared in rage.


	5. Contact.

"Merlin!"

Merlin stirred in his cot, suddenly awake.

"Merlin!"

He half opened his eyes, yawning.

"Merlin!" the dragon's voice resounded again in his head.

"Great," he thought with annoyance, "just what I need."

He felt exhausted. He had already endured a long sermon from Gaius, after being caught by the physician at the most inopportune time imaginable. The physician had made him clean his tank of leeches as a punishment. The old man had even threatened to send Merlin back to Ealdor to his mother. And now the dragon was calling him. He knew from experience that Kilgharrah wouldn't stop pestering him until he visited the cave, no matter how much he needed to sleep. It was futile to ignore the dragon's call.

Inwardly cursing the Great Dragon, he pulled out his nightshirt and quickly got dressed.

\-------------------------

"What do you want?" Merlin asked the dragon impatiently as soon as he arrived the cave.

"I must warn you, young warlock," growled Kilgharrah, "because you are letting lust cloud your judgment, and that will doom forever the destiny of Albion..."

"What?" He wrinkled his nose and frowned in disbelief.

"The witch, she has deceived you with her charms, but you shouldn't trust her, she only craves power and waits for the right moment to stab you in the back..." the dragon hissed, showing his sharp teeth.

"Morgana is a good person and she would never betray me, we love each other!" he shouted angrily. They really had not talked of love with Morgana yet, but for some reason, it felt right for him to say this in the heat of the moment.

"The witch is dangerous and manipulative. She lies. That perverse seductress is only using you to learn more about magic..."

"Stop insulting her!" he snapped, raging. "What you say is completely untrue. You are the one who lies, I was told you swore to take revenge on Uther by destroying Camelot and killing all the Pendragons..."

"I never lied to you, young warlock. I always wanted death for Uther Pendragon. But my best revenge will be to see Arthur, his own son, betray his legacy by restoring magic to Camelot..." the dragon explained calmly. "If you don't want to fail your destiny, you have to kill the witch now, while you still can. If you don't, you will regret it forever..." he added, conspiratorially.

"I am not listening to you, I will fulfill my destiny on my own without need of your twisted advice!" he exclaimed with conviction.

"Very well, but be warned that the witch, the Lady Morgana, will be your downfall. She is destined to be your enemy, not your mate. She will join in evil with Mordred, the young druid." The dragon briskly flapped his wings and flew away.

\-------------------------

Since the incident in Gaius' chambers, Merlin and Morgana had decided to meet in the evenings, in a forest clearing. It was near the castle, but away enough to avoid being seen by Camelot's guards.

It was better for learning defensive spells, anyway, because they had plenty of free space to chase each other without the risk of being caught when accidentally displaying some blatant effects of their magic. And, for the same reason, it was more appropriate for practicing how to control their magic when they kissed. Not that he was complaining about having to practice that, of course.

They had been using this meeting spot for two weeks already.

As in their previous encounters, he was sitting on a stump, waiting for her to arrive.

"Good evening, love," she said, smiling in joy. She was carrying a thick and dusty book with black covers under her arm.

"Good evening." He rose up and they exchanged a brief peck.

"I have good news, Merlin!" she said. "I know how we can learn more about the Druid Prophecies."

"Really?" he asked.

"Yes, I found a spell that allows remote communication."

"I don't remember any spell of the sort in my book." He scratched his head.

"That's because I didn't found it in your book, Merlin. I read it in this book I took from Camelot's library." She handed him the book she was carrying with her.

"I thought all the magic books had been burnt during the Great Purge..." he said, as he leafed through the old tome.

"Most of them were burnt, yes. You won't find any in the library unless you know where to look for them. There's a secret passage in the library that leads to a hidden room; I discovered it some years ago."

"So, all this time you knew where to find magic books?" he asked, bewildered.

"Not exactly. Actually, it's only now that I noticed there were magic books in that room."

"What were you looking for, when you found this secret room?"

"Banned literature..."

"Books banned for political reasons?"

"That, too." Her cheeks pinkened.

"What kind of books were you looking for?" He frowned in confusion.

She gave him a naughty smile.

"Oh." He blushed so hard his face went bright red and he could feel the heat bursting on his face and reaching his ears.

"What can I say? I am a curious girl..." She raised her hands and stroked his chest.

He left the book on the stump.

"Be careful. They say curiosity killed the cat..." he chuckled as he pulled her closer, putting his arm around her waist.

"We are not cats, Merlin, but certainly I would love to make you purr..." She bit his earlobe, teasingly.

"Morgana, if you keep biting my earlobes like this, I won't be held responsible for my actions!" he said, his mind full of impish ideas about how to fulfill his threat.

She laughed out loud, put her arms around his neck, and silenced him with a passionate kiss. As they deepened the kiss, he felt their magics entangling once again in a warm and golden whirlwind. It was thrilling not only to feel her soft lips touching his but also to be able to feel, at the same time, how she reacted with a pleasant shivering to his full lips tasting her mouth.  
\-------------------------

Morgana showed Merlin the remote communication spell in the book she had brought. It was already getting dark, so they had conjured several light spheres that were hovering slowly around them. A gentle breeze was blowing and it brought the sweet scent of night-blooming flowers.

"It says here that, in order to work, the spell needs two sorcerers to perform it during a full moon night, and a personal object from the person you plan to contact. I don't understand," he said while reading the book, sitting on the stump.

"What do you mean?" She knelt down on the stump behind him, wrapped her arms around his chest, and peeked at the book over his shoulder. He felt a pleasant chill running down his spine as she pressed her breasts against his back. He glanced up at her face, which was nestling in the crook of his neck.

"We don't have any personal objects from the druids, so I don't understand how we are supposed to contact them with this spell..."

"That's where you are wrong, Merlin," she said, "I have a pendant that Mordred left behind in my chambers last year when we hid him there..."

"Mordred?!" Merlin felt a sudden discomfort in his guts as he remembered his latest exchange with the Great Dragon. She would be surely angry at him if she knew he had been talking to Kilgharrah once again.

"Yes, Mordred. I don't see what's wrong about contacting him. He is a druid child, for starters. Also, don't you remember Arthur left him in a druid camp?"

"Yes, I guess you are right," he said reluctantly. "It's only that Kilgharrah once told me that Mordred is destined to kill Arthur..."

"Nonsense!" she snorted, rising from the stump and standing in front of him. "I thought we had already decided that nasty winged lizard isn't trustworthy, love!"

"Yes, I know, it's only that I have doubts. Kilgharrah wanted me to let Mordred die last year, but we saved him instead. I hope we'll never regret that." He looked up at her and rubbed his chin. Merlin could not help recalling over and over his latest conversation with the Great Dragon. Kilgharrah had warned him about Morgana joining with Mordred in evil. And now Morgana wanted to contact with Mordred, of all people. There had been something about Mordred that always had given him the chills. But he could not quite put the finger on it. Could the dragon's words hold some truth? No. He shook those thoughts out of his mind. Morgana was a good person, the woman that make him feel complete, it could not be right. It had to be just a coincidence. Or maybe the dragon knew this was going to happen and what he had said was his way to play with Merlin's mind, to create turmoil between him and Morgana. Yes, it made sense.

"Please, you couldn't seriously consider letting that poor child be killed by Uther! Remember that Kilgharrah also told you I was evil and shouldn't be helped at all!" She looked really upset. Her eyes were red and bright with unshed tears, her lips trembling, and her fists clenched in frustration.

Seeing Morgana like that was heartbreaking for Merlin. He felt the urge to comfort her.

"You made a good point there, love." He rose from his seat and, putting the book aside on top of the stump, cupped her face and briefly kissed her lips.

She snuggled her face into his shoulder and pulled him closer in a tight embrace. He soothingly stroked the long and silky dark waves of her hair.  
  
"All right." She released a deep, mollified sigh, "we should perform the spell next week when the moon is full, so we can finally learn about those Emrys prophecies."


	6. The Druids and the Prophecy.

The previous week they had performed the spell successfully. After contacting Mordred, Merlin and Morgana had arranged to meet him and Aglain, the leader of the druid camp, in the woods near a small waterfall, halfway between Camelot and the grave of Gorlois. Morgana always went on her annual pilgrimage to her father's tomb at this time of the year, at the end of spring.

She had convinced Arthur to accompany her and her maidservant on their yearly journey, along with Merlin. Uther had accepted that Arthur should go with his ward to protect her. Arthur had agreed to join her instead of sending any of his fellow knights because she had suggested this was an opportunity for him to get some alone time with Gwen away from his father's eyes.

* * *

Early in the morning, after helping Arthur with his armor, Merlin prepared the four horses for their trip. They were carrying food enough for a picnic in the middle of their journey. The prince, Morgana, and Gwen arrived at the courtyard. Merlin noticed both girls were wearing cloaks. Morgana's velvet green cloak, in combination with her matching dress, was a typical garment for her to wear. But Gwen's long woolen brown cloak, which completely covered her clothing, was not. Gwen was sporting an elaborate braided hairstyle too, that he had never seen her wear before. He wondered what was the reason behind such a mysterious change in his friend's appearance.

* * *

After riding for several hours, at midday they arrived at a meadow near a creek. The sun was high in the sky already, and the buzzing of the insects could be heard among the bushes. They stopped for a break. Both men got off their mounts. Merlin helped Morgana and Gwen to dismount their respective mares and helped Arthur secure the four horses to a tree.

Gwen and Merlin unpacked their supplies while Morgana and Arthur chatted beside their servants.

Gwen handed Merlin the picnic basket, then laid a huge blanket on top of the grass. Around the blanket, she distributed four cushions for them to sit.

Merlin opened the basket and he and Gwen served the meal. They put down plates and goblets at each site, poured wine in each chalice, and distributed several trays with fruit, cheese, bread, and cold meats.

After they finished their work, Gwen took her woolen cloak off. Underneath she was wearing a fancy purple gown, probably borrowed from Morgana. The dress, in addition to the unusually drafted hairstyle she was wearing, gave Guinevere the appearance of a princess rather than a maidservant. Arthur seemed so enthralled at her image that he couldn't help gaping at her like a complete fool. Gwen blushed and giggled at his reaction to her improved looks as she absentmindedly adjusted a small brooch with Camelot's coat of arms in it, which she was wearing on her chest.

Merlin repressed a chuckle and gazed at Morgana in amusement. She smirked and slyly winked an eye at him.

* * *

After sharing a pleasant meal time with Arthur and Gwen, Morgana gestured for Merlin to help her to stand up from her cushion.

"I want to pick some wildflowers for my father," she said. "I am bringing Merlin with me so he can help and show me where I can find the most beautiful ones."

Merlin looked regretfully at the picnic food. He wished they had more time since it was pretty infrequent for him to have a chance at enjoying so many delicacies.

Arthur glared warningly at Merlin as if he intended to remind him of the difference in station between him and Morgana. He pretended to be oblivious to it.

"Ok, Morgana, but please be careful, don't go too far into the woods. I am afraid clumsy Merlin can hardly guarantee your safety," the prince said in a derisive tone.

Merlin felt the urge to answer Arthur's spat, but instead, he reluctantly decided to bite his tongue, since he did not dare to risk ruining the plan that Morgana had crafted so meticulously.  
He knew from experience that Arthur was so arrogant that he could decide to accompany them just for the sake of annoying Merlin.

"Don't worry, Arthur, we'll be fine. I hope you can enjoy Gwen's company in my absence so you won't be too bored while waiting for me." She smiled widely at them.

The prince gulped and Gwen blushed.

* * *

As soon as they were out of sight of Arthur, Morgana pushed Merlin against a tree and, tiptoeing, she caught his lips in a deep kiss. Without breaking the kiss, he leaned his back against the tree and slightly bent his knees, pulling her against him in a tight embrace, so that she was standing between his legs, his face directly in front of hers, without needing to force his neck down.

"I have been wishing for hours that I could do this," she said when they broke the kiss for air.

"Me too," Merlin gasped, gently stroking her cheek with his thumb.

They amusedly looked around. The old tree under which they had snuggled seemed suddenly greener, full of new shoots and buds. Apparently, they needed more practice to control the side effects of their magic when they snogged.

* * *

"So, Merlin, did you like the little encouragement I gave to those two love birds?" Morgana asked with an impish smirk.

"I think Gwen's gown was a bit over the top, but I really wish those two would stop dancing around each other and finally admit their feelings." He smiled lightheartedly.

"I agree, I think they would be a great couple," she said cheerfully. "Arthur really needs a woman who balances his ego."

"You know what's funny? I used to think that you liked him," he said.

"Well, we kissed once, when I was fifteen," she admitted. "I remember it was on Arthur's sixteenth birthday."

"Really?" he asked. He felt an acute twinge of jealousy, as the image of that kiss crossed his mind.

"Don't get so worked up. It was just a tiny kiss and actually it was pretty awkward, it felt like kissing my own brother. Both of us agreed not to repeat the experience," she said. "Also I know you and Gwen kissed last year," she added, raising an eyebrow.

"It was only one kiss, and it was completely unexpected. Out of the blue, she kissed me when I was just waking up, recovering from poison," he said, defensively.

"You don't need to excuse yourself, love. She told me what happened, she was just happy that you were alive. Also, I trust in you." She laughed out loud.

"You really enjoy playing mind games with me, don't you Morgana?" he asked quizzically.

"Of course I do, you look adorable when you get jealous." she chuckled, as she started to tickle him.

"That's not fair! You know I am a ticklish person!" he said as he shuddered, laughing uncontrollably.

She kept tickling him, but quickly her tickles morphed into her caressing him, moving her hands underneath his shirt, giving him goose bumps. He bit her neck fiercely with a slight growl and he felt her shiver with pleasure in his arms.

"Morgana, please, we must stop this now. We shouldn't start something you know we can't finish," he warned her. He was short of breath and felt a feverish heat filling him with the overwhelming desire to explore every inch of her skin with his lips. Was she not the one who should slow down his advances? Morgana was clearly not a typical girl. The remainder of his rational mind had advised him to stop before they went beyond a no return point.

"You are such a killjoy," she said in a disappointed tone. "I guess you are right," she sighed. "It's just that I wish we could remain here longer, the two of us alone, but alas, we have not much time." She looked as flushed and excited as he felt.

"Indeed, we're supposed to see Mordred at the meeting point in less than an hour," he said breathing deeply as he tried to cool down his arousal state. Morgana was like a hurricane that woke up all his wild instincts, even those he had never been aware of before.

"And we have yet to pick some flowers," she added, as an afterthought. "We need to keep our alibi believable."

* * *

They walked, hand in hand, upstream along the creek near the woods until they reached a small waterfall. The swishing sound of water flow mingled with the birdsongs.

Mordred was there waiting for them, wearing his usual green hooded cloak. He was sitting on the rocks next to a tall dark-skinned bald man who was wearing a long tunic, with fur strips on its sleeves and neckline.

"Hello, Emrys and Morgana," the child's voice sounded inside Merlin's head. From the way Morgana's eyes widened, he could tell she had heard Mordred's telepathic greeting as well.

Mordred's habit of staring unblinkingly at people with his wide eyes and using telepathy instead of talking aloud, together with the odd temperate solemnity the kid displayed, really got on Merlin's nerves. Sure, mind talking was handy but completely unnecessary to use all the time.

"Hello, Mordred," he said, "can you talk aloud, please? And call me Merlin."

"Nice to see you again, Mordred!" Morgana smiled widely and waved at the kid.

"Aglain, these are my friends, Merlin and Morgana," the child said aloud, looking at the tall, bald man and gesturing towards the young couple.

"Nice to meet you, Merlin and Morgana. My name is Aglain, I am the leader of the local druids, we are currently camping near Essetir," he said as he shook Merlin's hand and kissed Morgana's.

"Mordred told me you were looking for answers about prophecies," he added.

"Yes," Morgana said squeezing Merlin's hand. "We wanted to know why Merlin is called Emrys by your people."

"Our people have an ancient tradition about divination. Over the centuries, we compiled the prophecies of our greatest oracles which predict several events of our future. Among those prophecies, one predicted Uther's purge against magic, and also how this era marked by the ban on magic would eventually be ended by the hand of a powerful warlock who will guide Uther's heir."

"But what's the exact wording of these prophecies?" Merlin interrupted eagerly.

"The part that referred to Emrys and Uther's heir is this short poem," Aglain explained. "I wrote it down for you to read." He handed him a small piece of parchment on which was written:

_"As the phoenix bird, magic shall rise again_

_reborn from the very ashes of the purge._

_A humble servant unnoticed in enemy's den,_

_the one destined to become Emrys will emerge._

_To the warlock's choices, Albion's future is bound,_

_He will guide and ally the Once and Future King,_

_the one who whose birth let magic's doom begin._

_And a new equilibrium for all creatures shall be found."_

He handed the parchment to Morgana so she could read it as well.

"But still I don't understand what 'Emrys' means." He scratched his head, puzzled.

"'Emrys' means 'immortal'," Mordred said.

"So Merlin's immortal?" Morgana asked startled.

"Well, we are not sure if the 'immortal' reference is used in a literal way or if it is a euphemism for 'legendary'," Aglain explained. "Also, Merlin is not 'Emrys' yet. Because of the prophecy and because of his great magical talent, he has the potential to become Emrys. But he has a long path ahead before he has the needed experience and knowledge. And in the end, it will depend on his own final decision: what he wants to do, where he wants to go, and what price is he ready to pay."

"So, Merlin isn't currently immortal but he could eventually become immortal in the future?" she asked.

"Something of the sort," Aglain agreed.

"But Mordred calls me Emrys now." Merlin felt bewildered.

"Well, yes, that's the thing with Seers, they get too carried away with visions of the future." Aglain chuckled.

"So, Mordred is a Seer like me?" Morgana smiled. "I always felt there was a connection."

"Indeed he is", Aglain said. "And a trained one."

The child smiled widely at her.

"Is there anything in the prophecies referring to Mordred or me?" she inquired.

"Not really," said Aglain. "Why do you ask?"

"Because the Great Dragon who lives in the cave beneath Camelot told Merlin I was destined to be evil and Mordred was destined to kill Arthur."

"Dragons are wise and natural Seers," Aglain explained. "But you must be warned that they are selfish and manipulative creatures as well. In the case of Kilgharrah, being the last of his kind, this dragon has not much reason to be kind to humans at all. Also, dragons never liked human Seers much, they are not keen on competition."

Merlin bit his lip in deep thought while absentmindedly caressing Morgana's hand with his thumb, his fingers intertwined with hers.

"There's something important you have to know," Aglain added, looking the young couple in the eyes. "Despite prophecies and visions, destiny is not set in stone. Destiny is a possible path in a maze of probabilities. Fate determines the twists of the maze, but you are the one who decides what route to take. At each turn, you'll have to take your chances and make decisions that will affect the causality in unpredictable ways. Free will is about responsibility. Sometimes the bifurcations will take you far away from your original path, and some other times several different ways can converge in a sole outcome."

"That's very interesting." Morgana sighed.

"And confusing," Merlin said.

"Indeed it is. Also, visions tend to be more blurry and less accurate the closer they get to the person involved in the prediction, so always take prophecies, including your own visions, with a grain of salt." Aglain advised Morgana.

"Something happened," Mordred interrupted them while pinching his nose bridge with two fingers. "You have to go back to the friends you left in the meadow as soon as possible. They need your help..."

* * *

While Merlin and Morgana were meeting with Mordred and Aglain, Gwen and Arthur were enjoying their alone time. It was a beautiful afternoon and they were sharing a pleasant chat while they ate the remains of the picnic in the meadow. The reflection of the sun shone through the whispering waters of the stream, the scent of fresh grass was suspended in the gentle breeze.

Arthur smiled at Gwen.

"You look gorgeous today, Guinevere." Arthur kissed her hand.

"Thank you, Milord." She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and giggled nervously.

"Please, call me Arthur, Guinevere," he said. "I have been thinking about what I told you three months ago when I stayed at your home."

"About our relationship, Arthur?"

"Yes, and I changed my mind. I think we should stop denying our feelings for each other."

"Really?"

"Really." He leaned towards her, lifted her chin, and briefly kissed her.

"And I thought of a way we can be together, after all."

"What's your plan?"

"I think I should marry Morgana-"

"What?!" she snapped at him with a confused frown.

"It's the perfect plan. My father would never approve of you and me as a couple, but if I get married, he would stop meddling with my private life and we could be secret lovers."

Morgana was like a sister to him. And she had acted rather supportive of his relationship with Guinevere, arranging this current meeting between them and even lending her one of her dresses. Surely Morgana would accept his idea. After all, the deal would be mutually beneficial for both of them. Thanks to this cover, both of them could get rid of Uther's interference and be free to pursue their own love interests. He hoped that despite his suspicions, Morgana's interest wasn't Merlin. She really deserved to do better than him. But he already knew she was too stubborn to accept any advice.

"What kind of woman do you think I am?!" Gwen angrily slapped Arthur and quickly rose up, storming away.

"Guinevere, it wasn't my intention to offend you! Come back, please!" he yelled as he attempted to follow her. Unfortunately, his foot got hooked on a root and he collapsed to the ground, his body dragged down under the heavy weight of his armor. He got up, hobbling, and he rushed to chase after her. But she was running much faster than him, and, certainly, his slight limp wasn't helping matters.

* * *

Suddenly, a group of bandits appeared ahead of Gwen. They were three big men, riding horses. She attempted to change her route but it was too late. They had already seen her. The biggest man rode towards her and quickly grabbed her without even dismounting from his horse.

"What do we have here?" the bandit guffawed. "A fugitive princess, wearing a brooch with Camelot's crest!"

She struggled to get free from her captor but she found his grip was too strong.

"Well done, Kendrick!" the shortest one cheered. "Surely we can get a good ransom in exchange for her."

"It seems it's our lucky day, comrades," the third man added."Our master will be pleased. Let's go back to the castle." After quickly gagging and tying her, in case she attempted crying for help or jumping from Kendrick's horse, they departed.

* * *

Arthur gasped in shock at the sight of the bandits riding away with Gwen but he knew it was futile to follow them afoot. Desperate, he ran back to get his horse.

When he arrived back at the meadow, he saw Merlin and Morgana running towards him.

"What happened, where is Gwen?" she asked in a scared voice.

"She was kidnapped! I have to rescue her!" Arthur exclaimed, pulling his hair in despair. It was unusual for Arthur to lose his temper, it seemed anything related with Gwen had a strong effect on him. Also, he felt he had caused all this terrible situation. If only he had been more tactful with Guinevere.

"Don't worry, Arthur, we'll get her back!" Merlin said in an encouraging tone.

"Morgana, please go back to Camelot and ask for support," Arthur requested.

"Of course not," she snapped. "I am going with you!"

"Please Morgana, we don't have time to argue." He rolled his eyes.

"Exactly my point," she said matter-of-factly. "We have to go after Gwen's kidnappers as soon as possible. Uther would never risk his men to save a maidservant, so, asking for support is pointless. Not to mention he would ask questions about why are you going on a quest to save her in the first place, Arthur."

He hated when her logic made perfect sense, like this moment. He sighed.

"All right," Arthur gritted his teeth. "Merlin, why are you still standing there, slacking off? Quick! pack some resources and bring our horses."

"Please don't forget to get my sword too, Merlin", Morgana added. "I always make Gwen pack it with my stuff, just in case."

Soon enough, the three of them were riding their horses. They set off to follow the trail of the kidnappers, desperately grasping at the hope they would be able to rescue their friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To be continued soon in the next story in the series, "Family Business. Of Love, Magic, and Politics."  
> That's the reason why this story ends in a cliffhanger, leading to the next story in the "Gods Play Dice. Of Destiny, Causality and Free Will." series . Hope you stay around to see what happens next. Thanks to all the people who follows this story! :-)


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